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On a side note, what did you think of the food mill, I have held off on ordering one for a while but I know I need to bite the bullet. Would you recommend the XOXO version?

Hi C_M,

Come to Tomatopalooza and you can certainly have a taste, since we are bringing some to sample from both batches.

I gotta say that, for the money, the OXO does the job, and is easy to use and clean. I can bring it to Tomatopalooza this weekend so folks can see it. So, yes, I would recommend it. I can't spend two hundred and fifty dollars for the Spremy at this time. Maybe after the Harley is paid off...

We got our OXO Food Mill at Williams Sonoma for fifty dollars. My wife has commented that it is a uni-tasker but I think that we will find other uses for it, such as Gazpacho.

-Howard

Last edited by TheClaw; July 20, 2009 at 10:35 PM.
Reason: clarification

For batch 1 we did peel and core the tomatoes after a quick plunge into boiling water and then an ice bath. Phew! What a lot of work!

For batch 2 we simply pulled off the stems and quartered the fruit. Quick and easy-peasy.

For both batches we added chopped onion, fresh basil, Italian spice blend, EVOO, and lots of garlic. We found out that the fresh basil must be mixed in or it will burn up in the hot oven, so it is important to stir right away, or cover with foil for the first 30 to 45 minutes.

Now the flavor was different but not because of the process. It was the fact that we (mistakenly) added about a tablespoon of sugar to the first batch, which made it very sweet. The second batch was much, much better.

Both batches went through the OXO food mill. I started with the fine blade but quickly switched to the medium blade.

The yield was nearly identical (2 1/2 pounds) per batch, even though the first batch had about a pound more fruit. I attribute this to the process. I think the loss occurred during the peeling process.

I have done a few batches of this recipie. It has made everything much easier to just roast then run it throught the mill. I have used it for pasta sauce and it got rave reviews from the family! My daughter was bragging at work that "my mom makes spegettii from scratch all the way down to growing the tomaotes"
Kat

The total time varied from batch to batch. We did the first batch at 450 degrees but the second and third at 400. It has generally taken about 4 hours total cook time for 5 to 8 pounds of tomatoes. The trick, I think, is to stir every 45 minutes or so and watch the consistency.

I judge the sauce to be done when I scape a spoon across the bottom of the pan and the sauce has thickened to the point that it does not run back onto the bare spot. The firs hour or two there is so much liquid that this is impossible.

The third batch, which I just did today, was even better than the last. I increased the garlic and added some salt, dehydrated onion bits, a dash of cayenne pepper and some garlic and onion powder. I also used a potato masher which probably hastened the breakdown of the ingredients. I also tasted it every 45 minutes or so when I took it out of the oven to stir.

When it is done, I remove it from the heat, let it cool and then run it through the food mill.

Note: If you don’t have a food mill, you can still make this sauce. I would recommend blanching and peeling the tomatoes first and removing the cores, though. Peppers would need to be diced - or use powder. Use a hand-held potato masher or food processor to break the roasted tomatoes up a bit. Finished product will be more chunky than what you would get by using a food mill, but is still delicious.

As an alternative to blanching, peeling, and coring, you can slice the tomatoes in half (paste type) or quarters (others) lengthwise and arrange them skin up. After the sauce has cooled, the skins will slip off easily by just pinching them and shaking lightly. Then put the batch through a food processor. I find this less time consuming, especially when doing a large batch.

I just bought a Victorio 250 food mill, so this year should be a breeze.